P.U.P., U.D.P., Independents contest Ladyville council

Still on the subject of politics, this weekend village council elections will continue countrywide. But as News Five’s Janelle Chanona reports, efforts by both the United Democratic Party and the People’s United Party have pushed one race into the national spotlight.

Janelle Chanona, Reporting
On Sunday April first, more than four thousand people living between the Haulover Bridge and the Boom cut-off will be eligible to elect the members of the next Ladyville Village Council.

While previous results in the village council elections have been confusing because the two mass parties have claimed some of the same slates as their supporters, in Ladyville, there will be no mistake. There are candidates representing the United Democratic Party, the People’s United Party, and even a line up of independents.

Herman Blease is leading the candidates on the P.U.P. ticket.

Herman Blease, P.U.P. Candidate, Chairman
“This new way forward agenda plans for a massive increase in fundraiser to manage the basic needs of our community, such as streets, roads, garbage collection and our team, this is the team that has the vision to put Ladyville on a path of what I call self-sustainability so that if the Government changes and one government decides not to support as has been the case, then at least we in Ladyville can do certain things on our own, the basic things that will maintain the infrastructural needs of our community.”

The U.D.P.’s make up the incumbent council and according to Chairman Luciano Choc, Ladyvillians are still seeing red.

Luciano Choc, U.D.P. Candidate, Chairman
“I sure that the people will vote me back in because in our past three years we have proven that we have done so much for this village and I am sure that the people of Ladyville will elect us back on Sunday April first.”

“We want to see that we can build a youth centre here in Ladyville.”

Janelle Chanona
“And what will that centre offer them?”

Luciano Choc
“Well, basically we want to say we want to put in like a sports bar, a game room, some sort of education program for the youths because we have plenty of youths, like I said, that have drop out of school and am sure that as we get elected next term that’s our main for this year.”

Sharon Turton is an elected member of the U.D.P. council, but this time around she’s running as an independent.

Sharon Turton, Independent Candidate, Chairlady
“I just think that there’s so much more things that we can do for the people of Ladyville. And if people knows me they knows who I am, they knows what I stand for; I noh fake people, this is mean, so I don’t know. I just feel good and the response that we are getting makes me feel better.”

All three candidates and their councillors are canvassing on the common platforms of improved infrastructure, better sanitation, less crime, and more economic opportunities. But an intense media campaign on television, radio, and in print has divided the country’s largest village along political lines.

Sharon Turton
“I think they should take red and blue out of our village. That is really messing up the people in our village. Because we have friends and all of a sudden because I deh run independent, dah one deh run red, dah one deh run blue, everybody get upset. So the colour really mess up the people of the village. And after the election, we are still living here.”

Luciano Choc
“We like the competition. Like I seh, we as a U.D.P. party, we are standing strong and we are sure that the people will heard our voice and will see what we have done.”

Herman Blease
“It is sad to say that we have come or we are going into a direction that is confusing the voters in Ladyville. What I want to say to voters in Ladyville is that you ought to be victors in this election and vote sensibly, put the right team in place to manage the affairs and to manage the affairs properly for the next three years.”

Keishalyn Estell, P.U.P. Councillor Candidate
“We have own agendas, we have our own projects that we want to show people that as much as politics is involved, we are looking at the village first, at Ladyville first, as villagers first, not only as politicians.”

Luciano Choc
“For sure, I think the people of Ladyville are watching the TV, they see everything. I am sure that they will come out and election us on April first.”

Herman Blease
“It’s a vision of a team, this team and it is important then that you vote for every member of this slate so that this team can take the vision of Ladyville for the next three years forward and get it down successfully and completely.”

Sharon Turton
“I am a people person, so the thing is that if people don’t want to work with me, that is okay too I will get people that will work with me. So if they don’t want to work with me, that is okay, I won’t fight with anybody because I am not a fighter. So if they don’t want to work with me, I have people willing to work with me. And also the people on our slate we reach a point okay, if we don’t win, we still want to work for the people of Ladyville. It doesn’t matter.”

Janelle Chanona
“Voting is scheduled to take place on Sunday between ten in the morning and five in evening here at the Ladyville Community Centre. Reporting for News Five, I am Janelle Chanona.”

Neighbourhoods that will be voting on Sunday include Mitchell Estate, New Site, Vista del Mar, Japan, Milpa and Los Lagos.